kale and apple salad

March 8th, 2013

When my kids ask me what’s for dinner and I tell them kale and apple salad is on the menu, they actually do a little dance. Crazy, right? I still can’t believe how much they love this salad. It is ridiculously simple and super healthy too. Doesn’t get better than that.

I think the appeal might have something to do with how I cut the kale. Big leaves of kale make your salad tough and chewy. But thin, noodle-y strips of kale make a light and crunchy salad. To do this, strip the kale leaves off the thick ribs and roll them into a long bundle (if it’s easier to handle, make two bundles). Cutting perpendicular to the bundle, with your sharpest knife, cut the kale into thin strips.

A grated apple and some vinegar-y dressing is all that is needed to finish this salad off. I like my dressing to be almost equal parts vinegar and oil, which might sound a little strong, but works with a mild vinegar. Rice wine vinegar is my favorite, but either white wine or apple cider vinegar would work too. The vinegar also breaks down the kale a bit. It helps to massage the kale after you mix it with the dressing. I feel like a fool every time I do it, but don’t skip this step. Massage your kale! Everyone needs a little love.

kale and apple salad

for the salad

one bunch kale

one tart apple (I like pink lady apples)

for the dressing

2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar)

3 Tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

Mix up your dressing in a medium-sized bowl. Cut your kale in thin strips. Mix the kale with the dressing. Massage your kale! Grate an apple on top. Mix and serve. You can make the salad ahead of time, but don’t mix the apple in until right before you serve it. Enjoy!

You’ve got the third reference to massaging kale that I’ve seen in as many weeks. I made an awesome kale salad one of those recent weeks it felt like summer here — with orange and grapefruit slices — and was instructed by the recipe to massage the kale. My husband, hater of many things kale, loved the salad and wanted to know what I did to make the kale bearable (he wasn’t referring to the obvious flavor enhancements). I told him I massaged the kale. I’m not sure he believed that’s all I did differently. But now I am a kale massage practitioner.

Sounds crazier than it really is! Strawberries rather than the apples you used then I make preserved lemons (lemon chunks salted, with peppercorns and lemon juice and let sit for at least 2 weeks). The preserved lemons are good with nearly everything!

Love this! Made it tonight…I have other kale salads I like, but the “twist” of grating the apple was a revelation…getting. Bit of sweet apple with every bite…yum! I used apple cider inegar and added some dried cranberries and pecans too. Delish!